The former U.K. business secretary claimed the comments were made at a “time in Britain … with very fraught politics and there was high emotion about many things in Britain at that time.”
The incoming ambassador went on to lavish Trump with praise, claiming the 47th president “has won fresh respect” with his “dynamism and energy.”
Mandelson, whose appointment is still subject to final rubber-stamping, will be the first non-career diplomat to take up the post in more than half a century, replacing Karen Pierce who has been widely praised across party lines.
The news of Mandelson’s nomination initially drew criticism from Trump circles, with ally Chris LaCivita labeling him an “absolute moron.”
However, the new ambassador denied that this criticism, or his dovish stance on China, would cause a problem. “I’ve heard nothing from the president or the White House or anybody working for him that suggests there’s going to be any difficulty about my appointment,” he said.
